Graduate students launching weather balloons from St. Martin

Observing and understanding the properties of tropical clouds from Barbados

Studying the physics of hurricane formation and intensification

Fall: January 15th**
Spring: November 15th
**International: Jan 1st

Overview

Our graduates include directors of the National Weather Service, television weathercasters, numerous NWS and Air Force forecasters, private-sector weather and finance analysts, and professors, among other careers. Graduate students at FSU learn theory and practice in the classroom and through research with the faculty whose expertise spans diverse areas of atmospheric science, including synoptic and dynamic meteorology, hurricanes, climate change, remote sensing, greenhouse gases, and air pollution.

Meteorology graduate programs include M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. Qualified students with a baccalaureate degree in meteorology or with a broad background in physics and mathematics can be admitted to the graduate program. Many incoming graduate students do not have prior training in meteorology. Students without prior meteorological coursework will be required to take foundational coursework during their first year in the graduate program. Complementary graduate degree programs are offered in the areas of Applied Mathematics, Physical Oceanography, and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics. Other strong supporting course work is found in the departments of Computer Science, Chemistry, Physics, Biological Science, and Statistics.

The MS degree requires students to complete 6 courses in climate, dynamics, synoptics, and physical meteorology, plus a technical computing or mathematics course. MS graduates must also write a thesis of original research, under the supervision of a faculty member, or pass an MS exam.

The PhD degree requires a dissertation of original research, under faculty supervision. Applicants who already hold an MS degree in Meteorology (or a closely related field) may apply directly to the PhD program, although most students enter the MS program first.

Faculty members and graduate students in the department are involved in research in many areas including: tropical meteorology, oceanic upwelling, turbulence and boundary layer meteorology, radiation physics, satellite remote sensing, mesoscale analysis, numerical weather prediction, climate diagnostics and modeling, air/sea interaction, large-scale flow over mountains, statistical prediction, design of meteorological networks, and radar meteorology. The State Climatologist of Florida and the Florida State Climate Center provide opportunities for students interested in climatology. Research support is provided primarily by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Faculty and graduate students of the department also participate in a number of national and international scientific research programs including various experimental field programs.

Application Inquries

University deadlines may differ. Please refer to the FSU Office of Graduate Admissions for University deadlines. You are advised to submit your application and supporting materials at least three months in advance of the semester you wish to enter. You may apply later than these department guidelines, but there are less likely to be openings available.